Jerry Richardson's Nephew Wants To Apologise To Stompie's Mother

"Stompie was supposed to be my age – we are peers. He lost out."

Among the thousands of South Africans who were present to celebrate the life of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was a man hoping to bump into Stompie Sepei's mother.

Godfrey Richardson, the nephew of Jerry Richardson, says he went to Orlando stadium to apologise for his uncle's actions.

Richardson, the coach of the Mandela United Football Club [MUFC] in Soweto and an apartheid police spy, was convicted of the kidnapping, torture and murder of 14-year-old Seipei (supposedly for being a police informant), which he claimed Winnie had ordered.

"When I heard they were showing my uncle on television because of the Stompie issue, I felt that I should get an opportunity to apologise for what 'our father' [as he refers to his uncle] did. I knew Stompie; we used to wash the [MUFC] soccer kit together and play soccer," Godfrey Richardson told HuffPost on Wednesday.

"Stompie was supposed to be my age, we are peers, he lost out," he added.

Godfrey was 14 when his uncle was arrested at their home in Car Street, Mzimhlope.

"I went to school, and when I came back there were police at home; they had bombed our home. The was a lady selling goods close to home, and she hid me at the store," he explained.

Jerry Richardson served a life sentence at Johannesburg's Leeuwkop Prison for Seipei's murder, dying of natural causes in 2009 in his fifties.

Godfrey recalls all the moments he had with his uncle nostalgically.

"He came to visit us in Mzimhlope before he died; I still have a picture he gave to me. On Family Day ,we went to visit him – they used to call him 'Mjazz'," he said.

He says his heart sank when he heard of the death of Madikizela-Mandela.

"It was heartbreaking, because our uncle used to tell us that Mam' Winnie was a mother. We went to her home and she treated me well, knowing that I am Jerry's child," he said.

He continued: "That is why I am here to mourn today, and say 'Rest in peace, Mama'. She will meet with Jerry in the afterlife, and they can speak about what happened."

"He will be opening old wounds. I was young and did not know what was going on, and I think Stompie's mother is already at peace."

He was the only family member who attended the memorial. According to Richardson, some of his family are still angry.

"My family members are still have a bit of anger, because Jerry died in jail. I decided to push myself, because I want people to know we are alive. It is unpleasant to watch 'our father' on television."

Jerry Richardson was the second-born of six children, and only three of his siblings are still alive.

Richardson's sister Sannah says it would be wrong for Godfrey to approach Stompie's mother.

"He will be opening old wounds. I was young, and did not know what was going – on and I think Stompie's mother is already at peace," she said.

She said is up to their elders to decide whether the family will apologise.

"This is not an issue that should be addressed by Godfrey; it is an issue for the elders to handle."

"I wonder what Godfrey is trying to achieve by wanting to apologise to Stompie's mom. No, he did not say anything before he went to the memorial. We are surprised!"